“When artificial intelligence (AI) moves into the physical world, a mistake can ground an aircraft, cause a vehicle crash, or compromise a mission.” At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Shield AI Chief Technology Officer Nathan Michael, Waabi founder and CEO Raquel Urtasun, and General Motors Director of Robotics Strategy Mikell Taylor will address how to deploy AI in high-stakes environments during a session titled “Building AI Systems When Failure Is Not an Option.” The event, scheduled for October 13–15, 2026, at Moscone West in San Francisco, includes over 200 sessions and 250 speakers, with the panel focusing on safety culture, testing, and validation.
The session highlights the challenges of transitioning AI from controlled labs to real-world applications, where errors carry significant risks. Shield AI’s Hivemind, a mission autonomy platform, has been selected by the U.S. Air Force for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program. Waabi, led by Urtasun, uses a virtual simulator called Waabi World to test autonomous driving systems, while GM’s Taylor brings expertise in industrial robotics and human-robot collaboration. The event’s deadline to secure discounted tickets is September 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT [1].
Shield AI’s Military-Grade Autonomy
Shield AI, founded in 2015, has developed Hivemind to enable autonomous operations in environments with no GPS or communication. The software was chosen by the U.S. Air Force in February 2026 for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. In March 2026, the company raised $1.5 billion in Series G funding, achieving a post-money valuation of $12.7 billion. Hivemind is currently deployed on the YFQ-44A drone by Anduril, according to Defiance ETFs. The company’s valuation surged 140% from $5.3 billion in March 2025 to $12.7 billion by 2026 [2].
Waabi’s Simulation-Driven Approach
Waabi, founded by Urtasun in 2021, relies on its Waabi World simulator to train autonomous driving systems. The company partners with Uber to deploy 25,000 Waabi Driver-powered robotaxis, with testing underway in Texas. Urtasun emphasized that full validation is required before driverless deployment, with Volvo Autonomous Solutions targeting a 2027 rollout. Waabi raised $1 billion in 2026, positioning itself as an alternative to data-heavy approaches like those of Tesla [2].
GM’s Robotics Strategy
Mikell Taylor, GM’s director of robotics strategy, has led projects including Amazon’s Proteus robot. Her work at GM focuses on industrial applications, though details about specific initiatives remain unspecified. Taylor’s background includes building a robotic senior prom date, a project highlighting her early interest in human-robot interaction. The session at Disrupt 2026 will explore how AI systems can earn trust in environments where human oversight is limited.
Worth a look